Steve Bimpson,

Nothing happens anywhere in this world until someone, somewhere, sells something.

In 1979 I started my working life in an administrative role at a Ford Main Dealer in Boston, Lincolnshire.  In that role I developed, what proved to be, very good relationships with both the Sales Manager and the General Manager there.  As a result of this, early in 1980 I was offered the opportunity to train in sales at Fords training centre in the UK – and I grabbed it with both hands!

At the tender age of 18, this move took me way, way out of my comfort zone but, over the next few months, it proved to be a great move for me.  In fact, I rapidly developed in this role and proved to be an excellent communicator.  A strength that all great sales people posess and a strength that has continued to grow, over the years.

Something else that I discovered during this time was the fact that I’m very competetive

If I’m going to do something, I like to do it to the very best of my ability.

This desire to perform at the highest level made me realise that I am completely passionate about personal development.  It’s this passion that has fuelled the recent changes in direction that my working life has taken.

I’ve worked for myself since 1986, initially as a self-employed, commission only salesperson and then later on, running my own businesses in Sales and Marketing and in hardwood flooring and custom made furniture.  Most recently I set up Infinite Possibilities (UK) Ltd, a vehicle through which I can pursue my passion for personal development.  This pursuit has led me to work with BNI (the most successful business referral organisation in the world) and to develop my own networking skills resource, www.networking-in-business.com.  I’ve created my own sales and personal development training programmes and I’m currently writing my first book.

I’m also now getting to work with some of my personal development mentors through iLearningGlobal (iLG).  People like Brian Tracy, Jay Abraham and Dr Ivan Misner, to name but a few.

Raglan Tribe, Managing Director of Mindsheet Limited. As an entrepreneur or innovator, whether you are starting out in your own business or some way down the road, sometimes you need a bit of advice and reassurance on your path to success.    I needed the same help when I left the corporate world and started my own business 6 years ago and that hunger for continual learning and improvement has never left me.

I’ve combined my 20 years of corporate knowhow with the ups and downs of running my own business.   I went from being in charge of 1500 people to launching my own innovation consultancy business.   I’ve been involved in many innovative product creations, some have been a rip roaring success and some have failed.  But the lessons I’ve learnt are priceless.

In particular, all businesses needs a predictable stream of qualified leads to drive the whole operation. Business Networking is by far the most important investment you can make to ensure a steady stream of leads and reliable referrals.

My company, Mindsheet Ltd, works with many blue chip corporations to research, develop and deliver new products and services.  We’ve had great success in using our revolutionary processes to understand their customers and deliver winning product solutions.  You can read more about Mindsheet on our company website.